Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Oral Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Oral

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $753 in Oral, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,156 in Oral, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,867 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,558 in Oral, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 13% more than Oral, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Oral are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Oral 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$7.39 ₸3,504

-72.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$30.68 ₸14.5K

-39.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$7.49 ₸3,549

4.94%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$1.69 ₸803

20.12%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ฿26.64

$0.91 ₸433

-12.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.52 ₸244

-32.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$0.80 ₸381

167.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$1.72 ₸813

113.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$1.24 ₸589

39.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$0.37 ₸176

324.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$1.45 ₸686

-17.24%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$1.29 ₸611

52.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$7.69 ₸3,647

111.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$3.88 ₸1,841

-21.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

$9.58 ₸4,541

12.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$1.11 ₸525

149.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$1.83 ₸869

-36.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$2.03 ₸961

-15.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$2.88 ₸1,364

-44.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$0.38 ₸179

265.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$0.29 ₸137

300.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$0.62 ₸296

6.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$1.01 ₸481

-48.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$1.80 ₸854

158.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$7.18 ₸3,406

147.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$0.58 ₸275

208.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$1.54 ₸728

116.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$0.21 ₸99.6

333.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$0.57 ₸269

147.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

$0.67 ₸320

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$4.68 ₸2,218

73.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$0.46 ₸219

167.39%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$20.5K ₸9.7M

4.76%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$24.9K ₸11.8M

-12.28%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$71.3 ฿2,379

$73.4 ₸34.8K

-2.87%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$14.01 ฿467

$7.92 ₸3,755

76.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$12.76 ₸6,049

40.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$67.4 ₸31.9K

-39.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$2.95 ₸1,399

93.90%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$308 ฿10.3K

$212 ₸100.4K

45.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$4,864 ₸2.3M

201.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$29.54 ₸14.0K

88.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$35.28 ₸16.7K

-26.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$89.5 ₸42.4K

-5.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$78.7 ₸37.3K

-9.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$248 ₸117.5K

70.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$190 ₸90.1K

27.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$393 ₸186.5K

102.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$269 ₸127.5K

88.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$415 ₸196.6K

43.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.39

-72.81%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Last update for Oral: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $423 in Chiang Mai versus $248 in Oral. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 43% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $31.00 in Oral. Groceries tell a different story – $244 in Chiang Mai vs $174 in Oral – so Oral wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chiang Mai vs Oral: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 13% more than Oral, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,279 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,130 in Oral. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oral, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $31.00 in Oral. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $753 in Oral, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Oral costs $753 versus $852 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Oral. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.